The discipline of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle (Australia) is offering up to five PhD Scholarships to suitably qualified international applicants in any research area of linguistics.

Applications will be considered from any area of linguistics. However, priority will be given to applicants whose research aligns with the work of the University’s Endangered Languages Documentation, Theory and Application Research Group (ELDTA). The research interests of the group are broad, encompassing language documentation and description; theoretical syntax, morphology and phonology; typology; cognitive linguistics; and historical linguistics. Applications will be welcomed in any of these areas. The notion of endangered languages adopted by the group is also broad, with an emphasis on indigenous languages, particularly of the Pacific region and Australia, although the group also includes members working on languages of north and sub-Saharan Africa and Central and East Asia.

The topic of the proposed doctoral research is open. Two of the scholarships are linked to a joint project between the University of Newcastle and Harvard University, investigating ergativity in languages of the western Solomon Islands. These will include one semester based at Harvard, and supervision by Harvard’s Prof. Maria Polinsky. The remaining three scholarships are completely open in terms of topic, with preference given to proposed projects that align with the research interests of ELDTA and of the University’s linguistics staff.

These scholarship positions will remain open until filled. However, early applications are encouraged to ensure they can be considered while positions remain available. In the first instance prospective applicants should contact Dr Bill Palmer
newcastle.edu.au> to discuss their research interests, background, and proposed PhD topic.